Herstory
Humble roots in serving women and families began at fifteen, as a junior lifeguard in San Francisco's Aquatic Park. In my early twenties I took my first EMT exam, ran a Ropes Course, worked as a naturalist, then backpacked throughout Europe. I pulled myself away from Barcelona to fulfill my dream, becoming a Firefighter in the wilds of Mendocino County.
In the midst of these adventures, I was honored, humbled and grateful to be called to my first labor and birth of a dear friend (and my former synchronized swimming duet partner.) Something inside me clicked, I began assisting women in birth between shifts fighting fires and responding to 911 calls. I co-ordinated the Volunteer Labor Support Program at San Francisco General Hospital and the Prenatal 'Hook-up' Program, matching volunteer doulas prenatally with young women for their birth.
I began formally studying Western Herbalism, provided teas to clients and class participants which birthed an apothecary, Majet's Botanicals. I studied with homebirth apprentices, midwives, and obstetricians in the Bay Area and in Mexico. Returning to work with teen mothers, I managed the Labor and Delivery Program teaching Childbirth Preparation Courses at San Francisco's Hilltop High School for Pregnant and Parenting Minors and at Noe Valley's Natural Resources along with CPR and Holistic First Aid courses at birth resources centers, companies and to families around the Bay Area. I formalized my training as a Registered Nurse and then as a Lactation Specialist/Visiting Home Nurse adding IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) knowledge base and credential in 2014 I began formally studying Ayurveda.
I do believe birthing a child and nourishing that being is a rite of passage, a fundamental journey that forever shapes our motherhood and lives- yet, it is so much more and a humbling drop in the vast sea of raising children. My approach to supporting women and families was shaped early on in my journey. I was fortunate to participate in a study on the effects of doulas at Kaiser San Francisco in the 1990's. The study aimed to replicate the outstanding outcomes of doula supported births demonstrated in several studies around the world. Unlike previous studies, the results (epidurals were the exception) for statistically lowering the birth complications/interventions were not evident. Instead, and arguably more significantly: women rated their birth experience as positive, they felt they coped well, and their labor process had a positive effect on their self esteem. This was a dynamic reinforcement for maternal satisfaction and increased self esteem outcomes possible with guided, skilled support. This non-attachment to a narrow view of positive birth informed my philosophy: you deserve all the information you want and the skilled, compassionate, evidence based care to achieve those goals. My service is to provide you with the tools and information you need for an informed and desired breastfeeding experience.
I do believe birthing a child and nourishing that being is a rite of passage, a fundamental journey that forever shapes our motherhood and lives- yet, it is so much more and a humbling drop in the vast sea of raising children. My approach to supporting women and families was shaped early on in my journey. I was fortunate to participate in a study on the effects of doulas at Kaiser San Francisco in the 1990's. The study aimed to replicate the outstanding outcomes of doula supported births demonstrated in several studies around the world. Unlike previous studies, the results (epidurals were the exception) for statistically lowering the birth complications/interventions were not evident. Instead, and arguably more significantly: women rated their birth experience as positive, they felt they coped well, and their labor process had a positive effect on their self esteem. This was a dynamic reinforcement for maternal satisfaction and increased self esteem outcomes possible with guided, skilled support. This non-attachment to a narrow view of positive birth informed my philosophy: you deserve all the information you want and the skilled, compassionate, evidence based care to achieve those goals. My service is to provide you with the tools and information you need for an informed and desired breastfeeding experience.
